The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-06

certain hygienic vian6s and get them
Mrs. Azariah Strong, who kept the tavern,
could boil him oatmeal and bake him
Graham bread; the milk was unadulter.
ated and the eggs fresh. Peter gradually
got better, and, besides, he found his old
sweetheart, Lydia Marsh, still alive and
unmarried.
Lydia had grown tall, thin and grey
since he knew her; but she was still meek,
simple, affectionate, and very glad to re-
new her acquaintance with Peter, who
had found but few whom he remembered
left In birmingham, and was glad OF one
cordial welcome. Now Lydia Marsh,
having enough money to live on as single
women do live in the country, and little
enough to do in her house, where bound
girl and cat constituted all the family,
had taken violently to the temperance
cause. 1t in an odd thing that almost
all the old maids and widows in a coun-
try town do become devoted either to the
work OF temperance or the cause of for
eign missions. There may be plenty of
white heather at their door; their next
neighbor may be a drunkard and abuse
his wife and children, but these special
ties do not interest them; they take to
glittering generalities even as ducks take
to water, and find pleasant excitement
in figuring as officers of an organization.
The married women, with husbands and
children to provide for, have "other fish
to fry" and, with few sad and painful
exceptions, adhere to their womanly
duties in I" that sweet, safe corner by the
household fire." made for good women.
Now Peter was dull and lonesome in
his inn, and it became matter OF course
with him to spend his evenings with Ly-
dia. The amiable enthusiast piled him
with her own notions and achievements
till he became interested deeply both in
her and her work. The old love, like
Aaron's dry rod, budded and blossomed,
and he made formal proposal to Lydia,
who modestly accepted him for better or
worse. By this time Peter was extremely
bored by Framinghim quiet and dullness.
He was by no means DESTROYS to spend
the rest of his days there, His dyspepsia
was better, and he discovered that Lydia
was an excellent cook and housekeeper;
consequently he persuaded her to set an
early day for the wedding, and fastened
back to the city to provide new home.
OF course, with his moderate means, he
had to buy house in block; but then
there are certain conveniences in that
your house is warmer than single man.
sion; your neighbors can not make more
outside show than you do; block, like
death, reduces men to the same level
apparently, at least; and whether you
wish to have characteristic dwelling or
not, you can't have it, except within.
Lydia gasped little at the idea of "goin'
to York to live" 1t was great elevation,
and birmingham people bristled with
envy; but Lydia rather dreaded it. How
ever, Peter soothed her with stories of
city conveniences; kitchen where the
water, both hot and cold, came into the
sink at her pleasure, no lamps to fill or
trim; no weekly butcher to wait and stay
at home for; all the needs and luxuries
of life close at hand; unlimited meetings
and temperance lectures; and afiliation
awaiting her with all the women's unions
and female leagues known to her hitherto
as distant glories and powers through the
newspapers. What change from the
one feeble society in birmingham, where
she had only been memberlEone Of
three-the other six were all officers.
So in due time Lydia was installed in
her new home, along with the willing
bound girl and the unwilling cat, and
reveled in the glories of city house with
a basement kitchen, parlor with red
plush furniture and blue tapestry car
pet, ornamented with large and forbid
ding portraits of Peter in his neatly
parted wig, and Sunday coat, Wis Avis
with the first Mrs. Peter, sound and snug
in black velvet gown. 1t is as cheap to
be painted in velvet as in calico. This
state apartment was kept dark and still.
The square room behind it was the living
room, and both Peters and Lydia's old
furnishings we're sprinkle1 sparsely over
the house.
They had very little society, for Peters
social development had always been
small, but Lydia found enough 10 do in
her new house and her evening meetings;
and Peter joined mems temperance So
ciety, who held their meetings in the
same building where Lydia's branch OF
the women's league held theirs, so that it
was remarkably convenient for them to
come and go together.
Deprived of any other outlet for his
busy nature, Peter soon became prom
inent person in the M. 7. A. Circle No. A.
He rose to the rank of Secretary, and was
then elected Vice-President. Lydia had
no such honors showered ON her; natur-
ally modest, she was afraid to speak be-
fore a crowd of strangers. But while her
sensitive womanhood led her to keep 81
lence, che was regular attendant and q
liberal contributor, SO the "sistering" did
not frown upon her.
Peter, however, was as active as blue
bottle fly; he talked and prayed and
worked with vigorous zeal; he button.